5 vs Galaxy A36 5G

Phone 1

Phone 2

Winner

Samsung Galaxy A36 5G

The Galaxy A36 5G wins this one, taking display and battery decisively. Against the 5 it's also the sounder buy at $6.11 per month of safe use.

Value Score: 5 57 · Galaxy A36 5G 66 — methodology

The lifespan decider

When specs are close, support length decides it — this is what each phone costs per month of safe use.

Fairphone 5 $600

Safe to buy$9.54/mo

2023◆ Buy-by Sep 20292031

Samsung Galaxy A36 5G $350

Safe to buy$6.11/mo

2025◆ Buy-by Mar 20292031

Category by category

Display

5 50Galaxy A36 5G 70

The Galaxy A36 5G's screen is the better one — 6.7-inch fhd+ super amoled, 120hz, 1200 nits.

Performance

5 55Galaxy A36 5G 48

The 5's Qualcomm QCM6490 (6nm) is simply the faster chip.

Camera

5 67Galaxy A36 5G 67

Camera systems are comparable on paper — pick by sample photos.

Battery

5 64Galaxy A36 5G 80

5,000mAh vs 4,200mAh — the Galaxy A36 5G lasts longer between charges.

Software longevity

5 75Galaxy A36 5G 68

The 5 is supported until Sep 2031 — 6 months longer than the Galaxy A36 5G.

Value

5 57Galaxy A36 5G 66

Overall value goes to the Galaxy A36 5G at $6.11 per month of safe use.

Full spec table

Spec	5	Galaxy A36 5G
Price (street)	$600	$350
Display	6.46-inch OLED, FHD+, 90Hz, Gorilla Glass 5	6.7-inch FHD+ Super AMOLED, 120Hz, 1200 nits
Chipset	Qualcomm QCM6490 (6nm)	Snapdragon 6 Gen 3
RAM	8GB	6GB/8GB
Storage	256GB	128GB/256GB
Battery	4,200 mAh	5,000 mAh
Charging	30W wired; user-removable battery	45W wired (charger not included)
Rear cameras	50MP main, 50MP ultra-wide	50MP main (OIS), 8MP ultra-wide, 5MP macro
Dimensions	161.6 × 75.8 × 9.6 mm	162.9 × 78.2 × 7.4 mm
Weight	212 g	195 g
Water resistance	IP55 (also MIL-STD-810H)	IP67
Supported until	Sep 2031	Mar 2031

5 full verdict →Galaxy A36 5G full verdict →Longevity master board →

Scores and verdicts are computed from our verified database — see exactly how. Specs from manufacturer documentation; prices reflect major US retailers.